Mahal's Gift
by Venra
Summary: A possible threat against Bilbo leads to the most important discovery of his and Thorin's married life. (Follow up to After Battle Bath Time and In Sickness and Health. Happy ending AU with domestic married Bilbo/Thorin) Can be read alone.


Everyone in Middle Earth knows the vague origin story of all the races, but even then there are some internal secrets a race will not share. Everyone knows that for the Dwarrows, Aule created seven brothers who became the fathers each of the Dwarrow clans. They also know that while six of the brothers woke on Middle Earth with their wives, Durin awoke alone.

It's often a point in conversation in bars or among school children about how the one clan born without both Mother and Father became the most prominent and wealthiest Dwarrow clan around. Durin had no wife, yet it is his line that rules Erebor, and it was his line that held Moria. Theories get tossed around, but none of them are correct. People think that Durin must have had a human wife, and that's why the longbeards are taller (even though humans did not exist yet). Or that Durin stole one of his brother's wives, which when a Dwarf is presented with this theory he will laugh uproariously. The idea of Dwarrows and their Ones started with the seven fathers. Even if it was a necessity for the race to continue Durin could not have stolen another's wife, not that he ever wanted to.

The closest theory that the other races come up with is not actually one that is specifically applied to Durin, but rather to Dwarrow as a whole; the (somewhat naïve sounding) idea that Dwarrow are birthed by stone. The Dwarrow are a very secretive bunch, but it is possible that a long time ago someone learned the truth that in order to make up for his lack of wife, Aulë (or Mahal) gave Durin the ability to have a child all on his own. Life was given to a stone carving of a babe made by Durin himself. The child breathed and cried and laughed just like any of Durin's brothers' children, but Durin raised his son alone, happy and content to have a family despite not having a wife. It is for this reason that Durin's blood runs stronger in his descendants than the other Dwarrow clans, and also that despite thousands of years passing, Mahal's gift still exists in the direct line of Durin. It is not often used, but it is well-known among Durin's Folk that a spouse is not necessary for an heir for a king. That the line will continue uninterrupted until Durin's final reincarnation signals the decline.

_The Kingdom Under The Mountain, Erebor, 6 years after The Battle Of Five Armies_.

Consciousness came slowly to Bilbo Baggins, consort to King Thorin, as he lay in their bed on a cool mid-Spring morning. The mountain always retained a certain amount of coldness because of the stone, but Bilbo was pleased that the fire in the hearth was still casting a significant amount of heat, and the fur blanket he was wrapped in ensured he was warm from his head to very large toes.

As he rolled over, still trying to cling to the last vestiges of sleep, Bilbo frowned at the cold rumpled sheets that normally contained his Dwarrow husband before remembering that Thorin had to be gone early today to oversee something about exporting goods and jewels to the Mirkwood Elves who were always so Eru-damndably awake when people should still be asleep. Indeed, it was not that late in the morning that Bilbo had awoken. Normally he and Thorin would wake up together and go through their routine before Thorin set off for the Throne Room and Bilbo to his garden, or the library, or their kitchen. Bilbo usually woke up first, disturbing Thorin with his shifting until the King would grab the Hobbit and hold him still. The couple would then lay there for a while, waking up slowly in each other's embrace trading soft words about their plans for the day until it was time to get up. As Thorin got dressed in his many-layered outfits, Bilbo would throw on his robe (the same robe he had in Bag-End) and either send for or make breakfast using their private kitchen in the royal wing. They would then eat together and have some tea before Bilbo would re-do Thorin's braids in whatever style the day's events called for. There had been more than one time when Thorin would fall asleep during the process, lulled into relaxation by Bilbo's hands softly grazing his scalp and the light tugging as he braided either complex or simple plaits. Bilbo would then kiss the Dwarf on his forehead and lightly slap him awake, sending his husband on his way.

There were busy days, days like this one where Thorin would not have the luxury of spending the time on their routine, or even eating breakfast (which infuriated Bilbo, who doesn't even have ONE breakfast a day, honestly?) For the most part, though, the business in Erebor had settled down significantly so that most days the King and his Hobbit had reliable schedules. Bilbo needn't worry that he would never have the chance to see Thorin because besides the odd emergency, Erebor had become wealthy due to its self-sufficiency and it recovered in the same manner. It wasn't as rich as it had once been, but Thorin actually feared that it would become so. He would much rather they live comfortably than in excess and risk another dragon (though Bilbo thought the rooms and rooms of loose gold and jewels in the treasury WAS a bit excessive).

Laying in bed wasn't nearly as enjoyable without Thorin to cuddle into, so Bilbo grumbled and escaped his furry cocoon, blearily making his way to the ensuite bathroom for a quick bath. On his way back out, completely dried off and wrapped in his robe, Bilbo stretched luxuriously, enjoying the way his tired muscles reawaken after a night of disuse and yawned with no consideration to covering his mouth (he feared that Dwarvish manners were rubbing off on him) before making his way to their bedroom door and stopping dead in his tracks.

There on his and Thorin's bedroom door, in the place both Nori and Dwalin had designed so that no intruders could possibly gain entrance, was a huge symbol carved into the wood that had most certainly not been there the night before.

Immediately on edge, Bilbo whipped his head around looking into the dark corners for the perpetrator. Seeing nothing despite his vigilance, Bilbo lunged towards the wardrobe, which had been left open (which wasn't unusual for Thorin) and thrust his hands into the hanging clothing. Breathing out a sigh of relief when he felt nothing but cloth and metal, he quickly grabbed Sting and its sheath from its place beside his own ornamental Dwarrow clothing. With his heart hammering in his chest he discarded the sheath and re-examined both the room and the bathroom, Sting leading the way should he find the one who obviously gained access to his room in the short time that Thorin had been away. It was at times like these that Bilbo wished he still had his ring, but he had locked it away in storage at Bag-End the only time they had been able to visit. Thorin had always acted.. oddly around the ring, and Bilbo feared that for some reason he was more susceptible to gold madness with the ring so he left it hidden from everyone, including his cousin who he left the smial to. Strangely enough Bilbo was worried that the perpetrator had his own ring and was somehow still hiding in their room despite Bilbo poking and prodding each dark crook and cranny with his sword. Finally, Bilbo felt secure enough that he was alone to hastily throw on some clothing before running out of his room to grab the guards.

Running as fast as he could to the throne room, not even sure if that's where Thorin would be with a guard flanking behind him (they had left the other guard at the entrance of the Royal Wing to try and ensure no one got in or escaped in the uproar) Bilbo felt out of breath as he shouted commands to the group that was trying to follow him.

"Get Spy Master Nori! Get Dwalin! Please hurry!" Far quickly than he ever has, and yet not as quick as he had hoped, Bilbo skidded into the throne room, immensely relieved that Thorin was there alone save for Dwalin and Balin's presence.

"Bilbo! What's wrong!?" Thorin barks, immediately moving from his throne and meeting his husband in the middle of the huge room. Bilbo runs into the King's arms and holds him for a brief moment before quickly pulling away to tug at Thorin's sleeves to follow the Hobbit back the way he came.

"Thorin you didn't happen to decide to take up woodworking this morning, did you?" Bilbo questions, breathless while he tries to drag the Dwarf along with him.

"E.. exscuse me?" Thorin asks, perplexed as he follows Bilbo who looks frantic, which matches the look on the guard's face as they pass him.

"Someone broke into our room!" Bilbo shrills, letting some of the anxiety seep into his voice. "They carved.. something! A t-threat maybe? Into our bedroom door, Thorin! Our door which we JUST had painted!"

At this Thorin stops abruptly, halting both of their movements. As Bilbo turns around, he sees the Dwarf king's face turn stormy with rage, his hands tightening into fists at his sides, "someone broke in after I left?"

"Yes! Which means they can't have gotten very far, so hurry!" With that, Thorin bursts ahead, having trouble maintaining the speed he wants to with long strides while still keeping a firm grip on Bilbo's arm, unwilling to be separated for a moment. He had half a mind to throw Bilbo up into his arms and run the rest of the way, but that would be uncomely for both of them. If someone did indeed leave a threat (and it would have had to be for specifically Bilbo given the timing) it would not do to be so visibly shaken by it (even though he was).

By the time they reached the entrance of the royal wing, there were dozens of guards milling about, each looking professionally alert and saluted as the King and Dwalin passed by.

"Has anyone tried to get in or out?" Dwalin questioned from behind Bilbo and Thorin and the head guard (as indicated by his helmet) shook his head.

"Only Spymaster Nori, sir." Thorin nodded and Bilbo gripped Sting's hilt tight, his other hand wrapped firmly in Thorin's as they approached their living quarters. Thorin looked at Dwalin for a moment before gesturing towards the entrance with his head. Dwalin then went forward, leading the party(sans the guards) into the royal wing.

Once inside, the doors closed behind them and Thorin bellowed, "Nori! Are you still in here?"

Appearing almost instantly, the star-haired spy master walked towards them, "Aye, and I haven't found a bloody thing."

Bilbo's brow furrowed in response, "did you at least find out how they got in? It can't have been through the main entrance or else the guards would have seen them."

Nori shook his head and lead them into the main living room, which looked exactly as it had the night before when Bilbo, Thorin, and Dis had retired for the night after spending some time playing an old Hobbit dice game.

"There is not one sign of disturbance in any of the empty rooms," Nori started, waving down the hall towards where the empty rooms sat. "The kitchen is as exactly as it should be, and most importantly, your garden is undisturbed. If they had gotten in any way it would have been through there, but not a single blade of grass has been trampled. People always leave a clue to how they get in and out, and I'm not seeing any."

Bilbo shifted closer towards Thorin, glancing up at his husband's face and seeing it entrenched in a heavy scowl as he hears the information (or lack thereof).

It was at that moment that entrance doors banged open and everyone jumped, only to relax as they hear the familiar stomping of Dis' Dwarrowdam feet as she comes into view from down the hallway. Her hair has been combed but not styled, making it clear that though she spent the time to get dressed into something half-respectable, she clearly got here as quickly as she could from her own quarters.

"Someone attacked Bilbo!?" She demanded, her blue eyes immediately darting towards the Hobbit in a way that looked so completely Thorin that if her voice wasn't significantly higher, Bilbo could have mistaken her tone for his.

"No, someone broke into their bedroom after Thorin left this morning and carved a threat into their door, we're not sure how yet," supplied Dwalin as Dis composed herself.

"WHAT!?" Comes the cry from Kili signifying both his and Fili's entrance as they join their mother. "Who would threaten Uncle Bilbo!?"

"We don't know yet, we can't find a sign of any entrance or exit anywhere."

"Well what does the threat say?" Dis asks, crossing her arms and glaring at her youngest son before he asks too many questions.

"I haven't checked the bedroom yet," supplies Nori, and the entire party look at Bilbo.

"I didn't actually look too hard at it, but it wasn't words.." He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, calmed slightly when Thorin notices his anxiety and begins to rub circles with his thumb where their hands are joined. "It was a symbol, Dwarrow I'm sure but it looked different than any symbol I've seen before. It was more.. circular."

"A house sigil maybe?" Fili asks, and Thorin shakes his head.

"I won't know until I see it."

Bilbo sighs and hangs his head slightly, "well, let's have a look, then. I swear to Eru if its somehow magically disappeared and all of you begin to thing I've gone crazy I will be very cross."

Turns out Bilbo needn't worry about the symbol disappearing for it stands as large and starkly on the inside of their bedroom door just as it had when Bilbo woke up. Not everyone could fit in the room, but as Dis, Bilbo, Thorin and Balin stare upon the symbol Bilbo still can't make any sense of it.

"Oh, brother… congratulations!" Dis breathes out almost airily in a voice full of clear awe, though Bilbo has no idea why. Thorin remains as stiff as stone at his side and at first Bilbo had thought it had been anger or worry that had made his husband so immobile, but given Dis' words he is beginning to rethink that.

"What? Congratulations for what?" The hobbit questions but remains unanswered. A few moments pass and Bilbo restudies the symbol. There are actually things he can recognize now that he looks at it; the seven starred crown over a hammer and anvil that represents Durin's line, the few words appear to be Khuzdul but clearly are a much older form than Bilbo can read, there are also non-traditional symbols like a tree and a shrub that Bilbo doesn't understand but can recognize as Dwarrow made. What makes the symbol much more different than any other is that the entire thing is encased in a circle, not unlike a Hobbit-hole's door but far different than traditional Dwarf design.

"Indeed, congratulations laddie, didn't think this would happen what with Fili and Kili around but who are we to ignore a gift?" Balin's voice drifts in and Thorin promptly drops to his knees before the door, luckily shielded from most of their companions' gazes.

"Thorin!? Thorin what's wrong!?" Bilbo says panicked, looking towards Dis and Balin who simply smile gently at the Hobbit while their King wraps his arms around Bilbo and rubs his face into the Hobbit's stomach.

"We will leave you two alone for a bit and let Thorin explain, hm brother?" Dis coos and pats Thorin on the head, who only grunts in response as Dis and Balin exit the room, the door closing gently behind them once more revealing the symbol.

"Thorin?" Bilbo asks softly of his husband who hasn't said anything since they arrived. "Thorin, you need to talk to me, are we in trouble?"

Thorin shakes his head from its place on Bilbo's stomach before he looks up at Bilbo, who is shocked by what he sees. Thorin's face is split in a wide grin, his eyes are bright and wet as if he was about to cry, but Bilbo sees the unmitigated joy in his husband's face that is so rare that Bilbo can't help but smile in return as he runs his hands through Thorin's hair, trying to coax words out of his husband.

"Thorin?" Abruptly, the Dwarf King stands and lifts the Hobbit off his feet and swings him around in a turn while laughing, when he stops he is still laughing and Bilbo is looking up at his husband with a confused smile on his face.

"Ah, kiss me, âzyung!" Thorin demands happily and Bilbo can hardly refuse. Soon they are kissing with a passion normally reserved for nights where neither have any place to be the next day. Tongue and teeth and lips meet again and again and both the Hobbit and the Dwarf are breathless in each other's arms as they break apart and Thorin leans their foreheads together.

"Thorin, just what is going on?" Bilbo breathes out heavily, still smiling because the symbol can't be a threat or Thorin would have already sent the guards and army on a man-hunt. Despite knowing it's not bad doesn't mean that Bilbo has any idea why it's good, either.

"Bilbo, âzyung, I know we never talked about our own because it wasn't possible, but now it is, and now we can have-"

"Thorin, hush, slow down. Our own what? You're rambling, you _never_ ramble." Bilbo was frowning again as his tenuous sense of what was going on slipped completely away to go along with Thorin's inability to explain.

"Our children!"

"Thorin…" Bilbo paused, a sinking feeling his gut. Maybe the symbol was dark magic that only affected Dwarrow to make them not make sense. Bilbo and Thorin were not only not of the same species, but male, how could they have ever had children? "Do you mean Fili and Kili? I love them as our own too, but they are Dis'."

Thorin shook his head emphatically at that, gripping Bilbo's shoulder with a gentle squeeze.

"No, OUR children. Part of you and part of me, all our own." Bilbo shook his head slowly and speaks gently, worried that he is somehow going to break his husband's heart since he's clearly being illogical.

"Thorin, we don't have… we can't…"

Thorin smiles gently down at his Hobbit, finally over his immediate excitement enough to start making proper sentences.

"We can. Come and look at the symbol with me, and I will explain."

Doubtful, Bilbo follows Thorin as he goes to sit cross-legged in front of their door, pulling Bilbo onto his lap so they may both look at the same thing.

"Have you read in any of our books how Durin's line continued despite his not having a wife?"

Bilbo shakes his head, "not really. I assumed that because he lived so long he married another dwarf after a very long time alone."

Thorin chuckles and takes Bilbo's hand in his, using their combined hands to trace the surprisingly smooth indentations of the symbol.

"A more logical assumption than many, but it's entirely wrong."

Bilbo leans back into Thorin's chest while letting his hand be moved, it really is a beautiful carving now that he is less afraid of it. "The truth is that Mahal granted Durin a child he created out of stone. A babe all of his own, made real by Mahal's gift."

Bilbo is genuinely surprised at this. The Dwarrow are notoriously secretive and though they do not keep things purposefully from their consort, there are many things about the history of the Dwarrow that are learned only after years of study. The books Bilbo has been able to read leave a lot of information out, and the more promising private history of the Durin's are written in such an old dialect of Khuzdul that Bilbo cannot comprehend them. Nonetheless, divine intervention is usually something that gets mentioned, even in other races' histories.

"So the line was able to start?"

"Hm," Thorin hums into Bilbo's curls. "And…"

"And?" Bilbo huffs when Thorin trails off.

"And over the years, Mahal has granted the same gift to the direct descendants of Durin again and again." At that Bilbo freezes, he has always been a quick thinker and if Thorin is saying what Bilbo thinks he's saying..

"When was the last time?"

"What?" Thorin asks, he didn't think that was what Bilbo was going to ask him.

"When was the last time Mahal gave a son of Durin this ability?" Bilbo tensed, he couldn't have hope. What if Mahal had stopped giving his Dwarrow magical stone children a long time ago. Thorin must be sure, or…

"My grandfather, Thrór, was the result of such conception." Bilbo froze, that was much more recent than he would have thought.

"But Dain I had a wife!" Bilbo exclaims, unable to make proper sense of the information he has been given.

"Aye, but she was not able to bare children, they had many miscarriages before Mahal's symbol, **this**" Thorin emphasizes, dragging their fingers on their door, "symbol showed up for them as well. Their door was on display for years in the museum, but Smaug burnt it up during his stay. My grandfather is said to have Dain's hair and his mother's eyes. A blend of both parents, although slightly more Durin came out in the end I'll admit."

"But he had a brother, and eventually a nephew, so the line was secure, was it not?" Bilbo says weakly, he doesn't want to poke holes in Thorin's story. But he NEEDS to know, needs to know if what's being offered can actually happen.

"It was, but Mahal's gift is just that, a gift. There were only a few times a stone child happened due to necessity, it is said that Mahal simply looks favourably upon us." They both go quiet, looking at the symbol with contemplation about their future.

"Thorin.." Bilbo starts, quietly. "I need to know, in plain language if you are saying what I think you're saying." He stops again, breathes deeply as Thorin squeezes his arms around the Hobbit in reassurance. "Are you saying that this symbol is not the result of an intruder, but rather a sign from Mahal that we can create a child made out of stone… together?"

Thorin fully wraps his arms around his husband, kisses Bilbo behind his sensitive pointed ear and nods as Bilbo's breath catches.

"Yes, love, that's exactly what I'm saying. We're going to have a baby."

The months following the discovery were incredibly busy as they made the preparations for the baby. The entire event was quickly hushed by Nori so news of neither a break in, nor Mahal's gift were mentioned among the general populous. Nonetheless, Dwalin discreetly increased the security surrounding the royal quarters to reassure Thorin and Bilbo despite no actual intrusion occurring.

Following instructions written in old Khuzdul that had been copied and handed down to each of Durin's direct descendants, Bilbo and Thorin prepped their home to be ready for the new arrival. Calling in the room builders Thorin had them carve out a small room off the side of their bedroom and then had an expert create a perfectly invisible door with a hidden lock. The door was seamless, opening only to Bilbo and Thorin who knew the secret. It was with the stone carved out to make the room that would become the base for their child's statue.

Bilbo oscillated between hesitant want and unbelievable hope that this would actually happen. That he and Thorin would have a child of their own that they could raise from birth, it was an unimaginable dream of his. As much as he wasn't lonely anymore with his Dwarrow friends and family surrounding him, the idea of a child to call his own was something he had abandoned long ago when he entered what he thought would be his permanent bachelor-hood. Still, Bilbo worried that somehow this had all been a mistake. That maybe Thorin had misheard about his grandfather's and great-grand uncle's births (Mahal gave them not one but three children) and that they would go through all this preparation and anticipation only to wind up disappointed in the end when it all turned out to be false. It led to an odd mixture of Bilbo being cautious to try and reduce future disappointment, and being completely invested in the preparations for birth as any other future parent might.

It didn't help that at any time of the day Thorin would slide in behind his Hobbit, rest his hands on Bilbo's tummy and murmur all his plans and ideas for the babe's creation and arrival. Stuff about if he'll wear shoes or not, or if they should plant more flowers because fauntlings like flowers right?

"I'm not sure fauntling is the right term, Thorin. He'll be made of stone, won't that make him a dwarfling instead?" Bilbo replies, all while trying to bake a pie despite his husband being attached to his back.

"Nope, neither, he'll be a dwobbit!" Kíli exclaims from his place at the kitchen table where he and Fíli have taken residence to wait for some of the other goods Bilbo has baking.

"Excuse me?" Thorin asks while turning to face his nephews leaving Bilbo freer movement to roll out the dough for the crust. Bilbo merely huffs and continues baking, already having heard Kíli's explanation ten different times.

"He'll be half Dwarrow, half Hobbit, so: Dwobbit!" Both Fíli and Kíli are grinning at this point, looking ridiculously pleased with themselves. Thorin observed his nephews with an air of exasperation, crossing his arms in an attempt to hide the fact that he was more open to the name than he wanted everyone to realize.

"We'll discuss it when the babe is actually born. Don't-" he points directly at Fíli this time "-write it into any official documentation. I'll not have you two finalizing anything when I'm not looking."

"Yes, uncle."

After the room had been built, Thorin and Bilbo spent every night ensconced within, transforming the block of stone into a baby statue piece by piece. Or rather, Thorin was carving it, Bilbo simply stayed in the room watching with intent, talking with his husband about everything they wanted in a child, which was an important part in the process, according to Thorin. It took weeks to complete, having only one shot to make the statue as perfect as possible, but when it was done Bilbo was caught off-guard by the emotion he felt towards it.

The statue had no distinguishing features other than that it was roughly the size of a Dwarf-babe but had the pointed ears of a Hobbit. Thorin told him that the babe was a spirit of its own that would appear exactly the way that it was meant to, like any child. They couldn't actually influence the way it looked or acted despite its divine origins. It would be a child just like any other once the appropriate time had passed. Laying the statue down in a bassinet on a pillar in the middle of the small room, Bilbo kissed the statue's forehead before he and Thorin exited the room, locking it behind until the baby was born.

There was some confusion as to how long the incubation time would take. Traditionally, the babes would remain dormant in their rooms for the length of an actual Dwarf pregnancy. But where Dwarrowdam had long laborious pregnancies of 10 or 11 months, Hobbits had easy ones, lasting no more than 5 months. Bilbo stood by that this was a Dwarf baby made of stone birthed in Dwarrow tradition under a mountain and so would take the Dwarvish amount of time, but Dís thought it was just as likely that the baby would take the shorter route.

Turns out, the baby took an approximate middle ground between the two and one night seven months after Bilbo and Thorin finished their carving, the exhausted couple were awoken by the symbol on their door glowing as bright as any sun in their room.

"Bilbo! Bilbo it's time!" Thorin shouts from his place on the bed closest to the door, blinded by both sleep and sudden brightness. The light recedes quickly and Bilbo, having been saved by most of the light exposure by Thorin having flung himself over the Hobbit as a reflex, is the first out of their bed. Throwing on his robe quickly he grabs for Thorin's hand and drags him to the door where they open it together. Entering the dark room they are awed by what they see.

Rushing over to the pedestal hand-in-hand, the pair examine their carving, taking in the differences from the last time they had seen it. There is a soft green glow emanating from cracks in the stone and they both hold their breath as is becomes very obvious that the carving is moving.

"Thorin! Do we help!?" Bilbo asks frantically but in a stage whisper, not sure if he should or can disturb the event.

"No, not yet," Thorin's voice is calm and in control. It soothes Bilbo but he can tell that Thorin is just as antsy as he is, but the King is just trying to control himself as he has been trained to.

The husbands stand there, squeezing their hands together tightly as little by little the stone gets livelier and gains momentum. Soon, its arms and legs begin to thrash about, more cracks appearing revealing more of the same soft light. There is a turning point, where all of a sudden the light recedes and in its place beneath the stone is flesh. Wonderfully alive flesh and they can hear little cries from the body beneath.

"Now!" Thorin breathes excitedly and together they clear their child of his stone encasement. Both are on the verge of relieved tears as tiny toes with feet covered in fur appear. Tiny hands that reach out and grab at the air futilely until Bilbo offers a finger to hold on to, the feeling of his son's undeveloped grip bringing home the reality of the miracle. Finally, they are both relieved when a loud cry escapes to the room as the child finally releases himself from his confines. A healthy set of lungs shouting its displeasure into room as any other baby might. Bilbo feels tears slip down his face as he clears the last bits of dust from their son's soft black hair.

The babe is every bit that was promised, laying there amidst the debris of his stone birth. A mix between him and Thorin with his black hair and though the babe has not opened them yet, definitely blue eyes. Slightly smaller than his carving, the baby is still incredibly Dwarfish. His hair is black like Thorin's and his nose is already more defined than any Hobbit-child's, but he has pointed ears like Bilbo. His feet, while large, are not as large as a Hobbit's but still carry they tell-tale signs of fur that make Bilbo and Thorin once again wonder if he will want to wear shoes or not.

Looking up at Thorin, Bilbo notes that his husband is also crying happily and quietly as they take in their new babe. Thorin meets his eyes, still watery but filled with such delight that Bilbo squeezes his eyes shut and lets out a little laugh. Thorin pulls the Hobbit to his side and kisses his husband on the forehead before redirecting their attention towards their son.

"You can pick him up," Thorin directs gently, causing Bilbo to look at him lost for a second.

"Can I?"

"Yes," Thorin nods, and they both move closer to the basinet. At the sound of his parent's voices the baby hushed, not looking at them but rather moving his arms inconsequentially as if to ensure his full range of motion. He's tiny and red from blood running just under his skin, flush with it just like Thorin remembers from Fíli and Kíli's births. Bilbo has never had this opportunity to be one of the first to hold a child, and so when he lifts their baby he does so with a reverent gentleness that he has never been graced with before. Making sure the babe's neck is supported as he cradles him in his arms, Bilbo keeps on glancing from the baby back to Thorin, expressing his disbelief that this actually happened. Thorin's reply is a wide, unapologetic smile and stands as close as he can to _his_ family, letting the contentment he feels from being close to his husband and son wash over him. They both sigh happily when the baby opens his eyes and stares directly at his parents while making little noises that don't mean anything.

"Are we ready for this, Thorin?" Bilbo asks, all of a sudden berating himself for his hesitance and wishing he had spent more time preparing for an actual baby rather than just creating a mythical stone statue. He feels caught off-guard even though he's been involved in every single step of his new son's birth.

"We took 13 Dwarrow, a wizard, and a Hobbit and managed to retake a kingdom from a dragon. We can handle a baby, darling." Thorin teases, the low rumble of his voice causing their son to focus on his Dwarf parent for the moment.

"He likes your voice, you should say something to him." Bilbo smiles, lifting their child in his arms slightly to bring him closer to both of them. Thorin smiles back, bringing his hand to his son's forehead and stroking his hair.

"Hello, Frerin, second of your name of the house of Durin. We're your daddies and we love you."


End file.
